Hydraulic press



(No Model.)

S. J. WEBB.

HYDRAULIC PRESS.

No. 429,667. Patented June v10. 1890:

UNITED STATES PATENT EErCE.v

SAMUEL J. WEBB, OF MINDEN, LOUISIANA.

HYDRAULIC PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,667, dated June 10,1890. Application filed May 7, 1889. Serial No. 309,924. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it' may concern:

' Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. WEBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minden, in the parish of Vebster and State of Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Presses,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hydraulic presses, and especially to that classwhere great strength and power are required and used, as in balingcotton, hay, and other materials,

' although the invention is not limited to this l special class ofpresses.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction and operationof hydraulic presses, so that they shall be simple, cheap, and compact,and at the same time be capable of withstanding great strain or pressureand operate quickly and evenly without liability to get out of order.

To'these ends my present invention consists in a press constructed andarranged substantially as set forth herein, and in the variouscombination of parts more set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying` drawings, Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view showing a press embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the same press with slight modiiications as to someof its parts.

The main frame-work of the press consists, essentially, of the upperfixed platen 1, which is secured to the frame-work 2, forming theparticularly hydraulic cylinder, by means of rods 3, pass` ing throughsuitable lugs or openings in the platen and frame-work, and these areformed and secured so as to withstand the strain between the fixedplaten and moving bed necessary to produce the desired amount ofpressure on the article to be pressed. Connected to the hydrauliccylinder 2 in any suitable way is the steam-cylinder 4, the bottom 5 ofwhich forms a base or support for the press. This steam-cylinder isprovided with a piston 6, having a piston-rod 7 and a suitablesteam-connection 8, controlled with a three-way valve 9, operated by ahandle 10 or otherwise, to admit the steam to the cylinder or to allowits escape therefrom. The

lower end of the piston-rod 7 is preferably provided with an extension11, which is adapted to fit into the steam-opening in the cylinder, andserves in this Way to form a cushion for the piston in its descent toprevent jarring in a well-known way, and similar means are preferablyprovided to prevent jar or injury from the upward movement of thepiston, as by the steam-passage 12 near the top of the cylinder, or bythe ring or plate 13, embracing the piston-rod and adapted to enter asuitable opening 14 at the top of the cylinder to form a cushion.

The moving platen 15,which may be guided 'by the rods 3, is providedwith' a downward annular extension 16, formed integral therewith orsuitably attached thereto, and this extension forms a plunger for thehydraulic cylinder 2 and is fitted to movefreely therein, but isprovided with a suitable packing 17 to make a water-tight connectionbetween the outside surface of the plunger and the inside surface of thehydraulic cylinder 2. This annular plunger also forms an interiorcylinder 18, and the piston-head 19, secured to the piston-rod 7 of thesteam-cylinder, is adapted to move in this interior cylinder 18, and,suitable packing is provided to form water-tight joints between theinterior surface of the cylinder and the contiguous surface of thepiston-head 19. This piston-head, as shown in Fig. l., is providedwithan automatic checkvalve 20, which may be of any suitable-construction,and which operates in an opening 2l in the head, so that when there is acertain definite pressure' above the piston-head the valve willautomatically operate to relieve the pressure. Another check-valve 22 isalso fitted in said piston in connection with an opening23, so that vitwill allow the flow of the iiuid from the hydraulic cylinder 2 into thecylinder 18 in a manner-hereinafter set forth. The annular extension 16is provided with a slight inwardly-proj ecting flange 24, which preventsthe piston-head from being drawn out of the cylinder 18 in its downwardmovement. The platen 15 may be provided with a man-hole 25, havingsuitable means for closing it, through which hole the packing and valvesof the cylinders may be adjusted when necessary. y

Connected with the hydraulic cylinder 2 at a point below the plunger 16,is a pipe 26, controlled by a suitable check or other valve 27, whichmay be operated byI a handle, as

IOO

28, and this is connected to a suitable source or supply of the fiuid tobe used in operatin g the press.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the piston 7 is not provided with anextended piston-head carrying the valves, as in Fig. 1, but is simplyslightly enlarged, as at 19, and fitted to slide in the cylinder 18,while the upper end of said cylinder is connected by a pipe 29 to thepipe 26, so as to permit the circulation of the fiuid from the cylinder1S to the cylinder 2.

As the platen 15 moves up and down, it is necessary to make someprovision whereby this connection can be maintained, and I have shown apipe 29 as extending into a larger and fixed pipe 30, having a suitablepacking at its upper end, which permits the pipe 29 to slide'telescopically therein as the platen is reciprocated. This pipe 30 isprovided with a suitable valve 3], operated by a handle 32 or otherwiseto regulate the fiow ot fluid from the two cylinders. This valve takesthe place of the automatic valve 20 in the construction shown in Fig. 1,and operates in substantially the same way and produces the same result,except that it is arranged outside of the cylinders instead of in thepiston-head.

From this description the operation will be seen to be as follows: Theparts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, steam is admitted to thesteam-cylinder through the pipe 8, and the piston 6, piston-rod 7, andpiston-head 19 carried thereby are moved upward, and the cylinder 18being filled with water the bed 15 is moved upward with the same speedas the piston 6, as the fluid cannot escape from said cylinder 18.A Inthis way the first or initial pressure is given to the bale or otherarticle to be operated upon with a rapid motion and at the shortestpossible time. Vhen, however, the resistance to the bed has increased toa certain point at which the auto- Wmatic valve 2O is gaged, this valveis opened by the pressure of the fluid, so as to allow the fluid in thecylinder 18 to escape through the opening 21 into the hydraulic cylinder2, and thus the effective area of the hydraulicplunger is increased toits fullest extent and the power of piston-head (i is greatlymultiplied, although, of course, the speed of the moving bed is reduced.In this way the final pressure is given to the article operated upon,and this can be gaged to any pressure desired. It is to be remarked thatwhile the piston and plunger are moving together, as is described, thecheck-valve 27 in the pipe 26 is automatically operated to admit fiuidinto the hydraulic cylinder 2; but the moment the automatic valve 2O isopened the pressure on this fiuid is so great that the check-valve 27 isclosed, and the pressure of the piston-rod 7 is exerted throughout themass of fiuid in the cylinders 18 and 2 and upon all portions of theavailable area of the plunger. Then the desired pressure has beenobtained and it is desired to lower the bed to repeat the operation, thesteam is exhausted from the cylinder 4c by means of the three-way cock 9through pipe 83 or otherwise, and the piston 6 and piston-rod descend bytheir own weight to their normal position, and thc l'iiston-headlQ isaccordingly drawn downward. This pis ton-head cannot be drawn from theplunger 1G on account of the fianges 24, so that the bed is forced toreturn to its normal position. As the piston-head 19 commences itsdescent, the fiuid in the hydraulic cylinder 2 forces open thecheck-valve 22 and allows a free circulation of fluid between the twocylinders, so that the cylinder 18 is filled with the fluid, and thecheck-valve 27 is operated by hand or otherwise to allow the remainingiiuid in the cylinder 2 to escape into a tank or reservoir in order thatthe plunger 1G can complete its downward stroke.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the operation is substantially thesame, except that instead of the fluid passing from cylinder 18 tocylinder 2 through the automatic valve in the piston-head it passesthrough pipes or channels 29 and 26 to the lower portion of thehydraulic cylinder 2 and backward the same way, the valve heiligoperated in this instance by the handle 32 to regulate the movement andpressurein the manner before set forth.

It will thus be seen that by this simple structure and arrangement of afew parts I am enabled to produce a press capable of withstanding animmense strain, and at the same time operating quickly and effectivelyto produce the results desired. The power is utilized in an economicalmanner, in that the IOO first or initial pressure is quickly attained bya rapid movement, and the final pressure is produced by a slowermovement with a greater area of effective force.

It is evident that while I have shown two ways of embodyingmy invention,based upon the same general principles of construction and operation,other modifications may be made without departingfrom the spiritthereof, and I therefore do not limit myself to the precise arrangementshown.

I do not herein claim the specific construction and arrangement of partsillustrated and described with reference to Fig. 2.

I do not herein make claim to the man-hole shown and described, as it isclaimed in my application Serial No. 299,691, filed February 15, 1889;nor do I claim the construction and arrangement of the steam cylinder,valve opening therein, and piston operated thereby, as claimed in myapplications, Serial No. 299,602, filed February 13, 1889, and SerialNo. 306,794, filed April 11, issu.

lVhat I claim is- 1. In a hydraulic press, the combination, with a fixedplaten and a hydraulic cylinder rigidly secured thereto, of a movableplaten having a plunger connected therewith operating in said cylinderand a piston-head litting the interior of said plunger, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a hydraulic press, the combination', with a iiXed platen, of ahydraulic cylinder rigidly connected thereto, a moving bed havingaplunger ittingsaid cylinder, anda steam cylinder and piston, thepiston-rod of which operates in said plunger, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a hydraulic press, the combination, with a hydraulic cylinder anda movable bed provided with an annularplunger fitting-said cylinder, ofa vsteam-cylinder, a piston and piston-rod therefor having a headiitting the plunger, and Valve-connections between the two sides of theplunger relative to the piston, substantially as described. 4

4. In a hydraulic press, the combination, with the hydraulic cylinderand an annular plunger fitting therein, of a piston-head iittin g theinterior of said plunger and provided with an automatic valve opening ina direction opposite to that in which power is applied, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with the hydraulic cylinder and annular plungerfitting therein, of a piston-head fitting the'interior of said plungerand provided with ,an automatic valve opening in a direction opposite tothat in which power is applied and a check-valve, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination, with a hydraulic cylinder and an annular plungerfitting therein,

of a piston iitting the interior of said plunger, provided with anautomatic valve opening in a direction opposite to that in which' poweris applied, and a check-valve, and a fluid-passage kconnected with saidcylinder and provided with a check-valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name tol this specification inA thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

SAMUEL J. WEBB.

lVitnesses:

ANDREW MACKAY, J r., D. CASTLEMAN WEBB.

